Admissions Process

Admissions process for Sherfield School

We offer rolling admissions and welcome applications from parents throughout the school year for children from 3 months to 18 years old.

Tour and Meeting with a member of our Senior Leadership Team

The admission process begins with a tour and meeting with an appropriate member of our SLT. We also offer Open Days as a more informative way to tour the school and meet our staff.

• Two for entry into Year 7 held on Friday 28 March 2025 and Friday 2 May 2025

You must register your interest in attending these open events using the form below.

If you are interested in entry into any other year group please use the form below to book a bespoke, private or group tour of the school. We can also offer video calls with members of our Senior Leadership Team if you would prefer. 

We hope that our testimonial videos, information, and images on the website and our social media will give a good indication of the school's warm, family-friendly atmosphere. 

Registration

Once you have finalised your decision, our Admissions Team will send you a Registration Form to complete, enabling you to book a 'taster' session/day at the school. You will also be required to pay the non-refundable registration fee of £100 or, for those needing a Child Student visa, £150.

We want to ensure that children can fully access the curriculum and thrive in all aspects of their education and life at Sherfield. 

• Alongside the registration form, we require:
• School reports and references, where applicable
• All supporting information, such as specialist reports and assessments, relating to additional needs, including Learning Support. 

This information should be translated into English for students from overseas. 

We also request predicted grades in GCSE or equivalent examinations for entrance into Sixth form.

Taster Days

Once registered, we offer 'tasters' for children joining Reception up to and including Sixth Form. These range from a few hours to a full day, with overnight stays for prospective boarders. Snacks, refreshments and lunch are provided. We offer short feedback meetings for parents at the end of all tasters, and in instances where this is not possible, we provide telephone feedback.

Mini tasters 

For Reception places, mini-tasters are offered during the year before a child formally starts school, and most occur between September and December. 

Children join our Pre-Reception for a few hours to experience and explore our setting, interact with our staff and with pupils of a similar age that will be moving up to Reception. This is also an important opportunity for us to observe a child's 'readiness' for Reception, such as their ability to follow simple routines, respond to teachers and play with others. 

Sometimes, for example, where a child struggles to settle without their parents or can feel overwhelmed by a new environment, we organise an additional taster. This can be in close succession to the first taser or we may recommend leaving a longer period to give a child more time to reach some developmental milestones and organise a follow up taster towards the end of the Spring term (March-April).

Full day tasters 

For places in Years 1 and 2, children spend the school day (8.30am - 3.15pm) with their current year group and experience a variety of lessons, which can include subjects such as PE, Dance and Outdoor Education. Informal assessments in Maths and English are interspersed with lessons and activities. 

For places in Years 3 upwards, the school day is longer and runs from 8.30am - 4.15pm. Again, the focus is on a child experiencing a typical day at Sherfield with the opportunity to engage in the subjects and activities that they most enjoy, and to learn and socialise with pupils who would be in the same year group if they were to join Sherfield. 

For Years 3 and 4, informal assessments in Maths and English form part of the taster day. 

From Year 5 upwards, a student's taster day includes a CAT4 test, which is a cognitive ability test, where no preparation is required 

Often, children are familiar with these standardised tests as they are widely used in primary and secondary schools. In some instances, children are invited to come on a separate morning to sit the test. If a student has sat the CAT4 test recently in their current school, we may instead request the results from the school.

For Sixth form entry, we offer a taster in Sixth form, joining classes that include the student's preferred course choices. The student's taster includes a CAT4 test, which is a cognitive ability test, where no preparation is required, as above. 

Students living overseas are invited to come to the UK for a taster, including an overnight stay in our boarding house if they are prospective boarders. If this is not possible, we provide a virtual tour of the school and organise a virtual meeting with a member of the senior leadership team.

For students where English is their second language, they undertake a Maths test and PASSWORD English test to gauge their levels in both subjects, under exam conditions, invigilated by their current school or where applicable, an Agent. This is followed by a virtual interview with a member of the senior leadership team. 

This meeting is an important opportunity for the student to learn more about Sherfield and for us to gain a sense of a prospective student's character and aspirations as well as their academic potential, interests and talents.

Offer a Place

Successful applicants will be offered a place in writing. To complete your child’s enrolment, you will need to return the:​

• Acceptance Form​

• Acceptance Deposit (£400 for day and £2,500 for boarders, plus one term’s fees for Non UK residents)​

• Completed Medical Declaration Form​

Please note: Both parents/legal guardians must sign the Acceptance Form.​

The Deposit will be held in the School bank account and will be refunded after the pupil’s final term at Sherfield School, less any ‘extras’ for that final term. Please note the deposit is non-refundable if your child does not take up a place previously accepted.​

Keeping in touch

Once your child has secured a place at Sherfield School, our commitment to keeping you informed and connected begins. We will regularly provide updates and extend invitations to various events, ensuring that your family becomes an integral part of the Sherfield School community even before your child's official enrollment.

During the summer term, we host events for the pupils and their parents, as we realise it is just as important for the parents to meet each other and ask any questions they might have. Events include a BBQ and games/crafting social evening and 'move up' day for the pupils and a cheese and wine evening for the parents.

Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns you may have; we are here to assist you every step of the way.